Two X chromosomes are needed for a cat to have that distinctive tri-color coat. If a cat has an XX pair, she will be female. Male cats have an XY chromosome pair, so they can't be Calicos.
The actual, scientific fact of the matter is that most calicos and torties are female. There are some rare exceptions! According to a study by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, only about 1 in 3,000 calico cats are male!
A male cat can have tri-colored fur if he inherits an extra X-chromosome, making his genetic makeup XXY. In humans, this condition is known as Klinefelter Syndrome, which is surprisingly common at about 1-2 out of every 1000 live male births, with many who have the condition remaining ignorant of it.
Calico cats are almost always female because the locus of the gene for the orange/non-orange coloring is on the X chromosome.
“Since the genes for sex and hair colors are on different chromosomes, they are inherited independently of each other. Thus, no color is associated with a particular sex, except in cats and hamsters.” Nature doesn't always abide by a rigid set of rules, however, including when it comes to feline fur color.
Orange tabby cats are usually male.
According to the BBC's Focus Magazine, the ginger gene in cats works a little differently compared to humans; it is on the X chromosome. Males only need one copy of the gene to become a ginger cat while female cats have two X chromosomes and require two copies of the gene.
Two X chromosomes are needed for a cat to have that distinctive tri-color coat. If a cat has an XX pair, she will be female. Male cats have an XY chromosome pair, so they can't be Calicos.
Chromosomal Abnormalities in Male Calicos
3 The XXY combination can occur when there's an incomplete division of the male's XY chromosome pair at the time of fertilization. This phenomenon is rare, although the likelihood of a male cat ending up with an extra X chromosome is unclear.
The color of the kitten may suggest its gender. Almost all (but not ALL) kittens of calico (black, white and orange) or tortishell (black and orange) color are females. More orange kittens are male than female although the association between color and sex is not as strong as in the calico/tortishell colored kitten.
Calico and tortoiseshell cats, those with marbled orange and black fur, are almost always female, thanks to the genetics of coat color. A cat with two X chromosomes (called XX) is a female, while a cat with one X and one Y chromosome (XY) is a male.
Tortoiseshell cats are usually female.
This is because two X chromosomes are needed to produce the trademark tortoiseshell coloring of black, orange, and yellow/gold, while male cats only have one X and one Y chromosome. Male torties have an extra X chromosome, making them a very rare XXY.
99.9% of calico cats are female. Two X chromosomes are needed to create the tri-color (calico) coat, and an XX pair also results in the cat being female. Embrace a better life with cats with a self-cleaning litter box.
Black cats tend to be male.
While they can definitely be either male or female, due to some genetic mystery, there are more male black cats than females.
1. Female orange cats must have orange fathers
For a female cat to be orange, she must inherit two orange genes, one from her mother (orange, calico or tortoiseshell) and one from her father (who must be orange).
Although it is not an exact science, sometimes cats are more or less likely to be a certain gender based on their coat color. In particular, calico or tortoiseshell cats are almost always female. On the other hand, orange or orange and white cats are almost always male.
– Calico Tabby or “Tabico” for short – A calico mixed with a brown tabby, so you get brown and orange tabby markings plus larger patches of white. – Tortoiseshell or “Torties” for short – Torties aren't true tri-colored cats, as they are mainly black and orange (also called red) swirled in a “brindle” pattern.
The Calico cat is thought to bring good luck and fortune to the homes and families that adopt them. They are also considered to be a little magical because of their three colors. In the 1870s, Calico cats were named the official symbol of fortune in Japan.
Torbie Cats
Of the four type of cat coat colors listed, the torbie cat is most rare.
Like calicos and tortoiseshells, tuxedo cats are not a breed. Instead, they are defined by their distinct black and white bicolored (or piebald) coats that resemble traditional formal wear. However, while calico and tortoiseshell cats are predominantly female, tuxedo cats can be either male or female.
Their gender: Ginger cats are more likely to be male than female. *This is because the “ginger gene” which produces the orange color is on the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes and so need two copies of this gene to become ginger, whereas males need only one.
A huge 80% of all ginger cats are male, as there are far less variables involved. Also, ginger males can come from red, calico and tortoiseshell mothers, whereas females need to have one fully red father and the mother will have to be red, calico or tortoiseshell.
Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf. The percentage rises to 40 percent if the cat has one blue eye, while upwards of 65 to 85 percent of all-white cats with both eyes blue are deaf.
Black Is the Most Common Feline Coat Color
It is not a glitch in the matrix; black is actually the most common coat color among felines. The gene for expressing eumelanin—the pigment needed to make black fur—is dominant in black cats.
What kind of cat is Garfield? The fictional comic strip cat named Garfield is an orange Persian Tabby. Although the comic doesn't portray any fine details such as fur texture and volume, it is obvious that Garfield is a Persian Tabby, just judging by his personality, facial features, and of course his fur pattern.
The Sokoke cat is said to be the rarest cat in the world. Rather than being a man-created breed, the Sosoke is a naturally occurring, tiny wildcat that can be found only in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Preserve in Kenya (Africa).